Then again, China may see its efforts in the South China Sea blunted. U.S. access to the South China Sea is coming under increasing threat as Chinese power increases, but can be preserved if the United States maintains a sufficient military advantage over China. 1. In order to understand the contention of the South China Sea and its significance, it is firstly imperative to understand the geopolitical importance of Asia, which has given rise to Chinese pre-eminence; enabling its rise to contemporary major political power on the global stage. The diplomatic tempest at the ARF came when U.S. security attention was preoccupied with ongoing military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the global counterterrorism campaign with Osama bin Laden still at large. It has increased its military budget by over 8.5% in recent years and this is likely to continue for the near future. Many of these countries suffer from corruption and lack for effective rule of law. China, too, considers control of these waters to be of high strategic importance. Journals and books. Recent satellite analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies shows that Chinese fishing fleets are engaged in paramilitary work on behalf of the state rather than the commercial enterprise of fishing, the organization reported. Such access would complement the renewed U.S. presence in the Philippines; facilitate a regular American presence in the western part of the South China Sea; enable the United States to more easily defendor seal upthe Malacca Strait; and, it should be noted, put American forces within striking distance of major Chinese bases on Hainan, including port facilities that host Chinas ballistic missile submarines. Burma, however, is a potential bright spot for the U.S. position in continental Southeast Asia. Three years ago an arbitration tribunal issued a decision finding that Chinas maritime claims in the South China Sea are inconsistent with the Law of the Sea Convention. This has continued in to the present day. China sought access to natural resources, to political influence and to a strategic maritime position in the Bay of Bengal. The global focus of economic power has traditionally been centred over the west with the UK and the USA as the key contributors; however in recent years, this has shifted east (see Figure 1), with the main reason for this being rapid urbanization in developing countries, in particular China. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the South China Sea dispute and to analyze why the dispute has yet to escalate, as well as the strategic importance of the South China Sea dispute to international trade. Therefore, the US plays a key role in influencing the resolution of the SCS disputes. the South China Sea in all scenarios short of war with the United States." Chinese control of the SCS-and, more generally, Chinese domination of China's near-seas region, meaning the SCS, the East China Sea (ECS), and the Yellow Sea-could substantially aect U.S. strategic, political, and economic interests in the Indo-Pacic region and . Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. By contrast, China views. What is the strategic importance of the South China Sea. The Obama administration has made modest gains in this regard, but it will be up for to the next president to seize that opportunity and ensure that Southeast Asias future is prosperous, peaceful and free. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), it carries one-third of global shipping, carrying trillions of dollars in trade, making it a significant geopolitical water body. The Chinese recently built an island in the South China Sea, apparently as a potential airbase. As a result of this shift, China now seeks to control sea lines of communication, ensure national prosperity and continue economic growth and national greatness; the South China Sea plays a massive part in this. US still mired in a 'Cold War' mindset, but the tide's turning, The West is misreading Chinas Party Congress at the peril of world stability, Can Foreign Investors still have Good Reasons to be Optimistic about China? U.S. policy in the South China Sea has been overly reliant on military options, which may not always be the most effective response. February 27, 2023. Unfortunately, the allies now lack a shared strategic outlook, thus reducing the impetus to overcome recent bilateral political hurdles. When China moved a massive oilrig, theHaiyang Shiyou 981, into Vietnams exclusive economic zone in 2014, Vietnam had limited options to respond, at either the low end or the high. This article aims to highlight security dynamics of the US-China competition in the Indo-Pacific associated with the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea through the prism of Balance of Threat Th. It is growing more difficult to discuss Southeast Asia without discussing Japan, India and Australia, whose ties to the region and to each other are maturing and whose militarieswhether represented by personnel, aircraft, or warshipsare increasingly present in the region. In addition, this thesis intends to propose a solution to the dispute by pulling from a variety of sources. China remains uncompromising on sovereignty, has increased its capability to enforce its de facto control in disputed areas, and has sought to advance its claims while staying below the threshold for direct military conflict with the United States. Allied efforts to support U.S. force posture in the region will remain vital, but the United States should also expect allies to make greater contributions in responding to Chinese coercion. It would also open the option of persistently jamming Chinese radar installations in the Spratlys. Abstract. Moving forward, freedom of navigation and routine presence operations should be executed on a regular basis to demonstrate U.S. resolve to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows. The new administration should issue clear and consistent strategic messages, since inconsistent articulation of the objectives of the rebalance strategy has caused confusion in China and amongst U.S. allies and partners. Does US-hegemonic decline translate into a fight between democracy and autocracy in maintaining a benign world order? In the near term, this could lead to sales of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment as well as patrol boats to allow Hanoi to better keep an eye on goings-on in the western South China Sea. Rival countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has steadily increased in recent years. Therefore, the SCS has geopolitical and geostrategic importance for the energy and economic security of China and East Asian countries; but also for the USA as $1.2 trillion of its trade moves through the waters. India will lose its current freedom of access into the South China Sea and much of Southeast Asia. That line was given little credence or attention in the U.S. or in Asia over the first five decades of the PRCs history. 1982 More than 160 nations conclude the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, an international treaty setting out the framework governing the oceans and their uses. This access will allow for more frequent, more sustained flights over the South China Sea, including over the disputed Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. The United States can do more to leverage its alliances in Asia to raise the costs of Chinese efforts to undermine the regional order. The strategic landscape of the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia in the early 1990s was remarkably benign with optimism in full flower. Chinas claims over the legal status and maritime rights of the 9 dash line remain ambiguous and outside of UN recognised EEZ claims. Navy P-8s are now regularly deploying to Singapore and, although without regular access, they have conducted patrols from Malaysia as well. The United States calls this treaty the Law of the Sea Convention.. According to the U.S. State Department, it has been estimated that China is effectively blocking the development of $2.5 trillion worth of oil and gas resources in the South China Sea. From a strategic perspective, the geographical significance of the SCS is that whoever has dominance over it, dominates the future of East Asia. In October 2020, Hong Kong's air traffic control denied a Taiwanese flight access to Pratas Island, a Taiwan-occupied feature in the South China Sea. In 2016, they carried fully one-third of global shipping with an estimated value of $3.4 trillion. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Seventh Fleet patrolled the regions seaways, including the South China Sea, unchallenged including agreed access to ports throughout much of the region. The Thai people are lurching towards a new political arrangement, a process that Thais have to see through for themselves. The sea is rich in resources and holds significant strategic and political importance. Hanoi will move cautiously and such access may be limited to the purposes of logistical support for the time being. In particular, Chinas growing assertiveness over sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea could be assessed as a serious challenge to the status quo in the region. If full democratization is her goal, there is no foreign partner more important than Washington for achieving it. The United States will continue to stand with our allies and partners to uphold the order that we helped build, Pencesaid. In other words, his primary concern is that the rivalry over the South China Sea could derail Beijing's strong strategic focus on the Taiwan issue.25 Academic perspectives on the South China Sea are important and may actually be quite influential. By the mid-1990s, relations with Vietnam had begun a rapidly improvement. In recent years, U.S. military planners have shifted their focus from counterterrorism, low intensity conflict to great power, high intensity threats. The South China Sea is one of the most important trade pathways in the world. The United States has leverage over China in areas not directly related to South China Sea and may have to consider using or threatening to use these tools to stabilize the regional order. Although ultimately unsuccessful in Vietnam, America emerged in a surprisingly advantageous strategic position in Southeast Asia with alliances intact with Thailand and the Philippines and friendly ties with Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Given these advantages, Washington can afford to focus on the long game in Asia, confident that Chinese adventurism is likely to push many states to turn to the United States for support. Islands in the South China Sea The islands of the South China Sea can be grouped into two island chains. Vietnam already flies modern Russian fighter jets and is expecting delivery this year of its sixth and final Kilo-class submarinesubmarines so quiet that the U.S. Navy refers to them as black holes. If the Chinese Navy wants to have its way in the South China Sea, it will have to dedicate resources to tracking those subs, a task with which the PLAN has limited experience. In short, adopting a more robust deterrence approach need not prevent cooperation that is in the interests of both countries. Miguel . As one of the busiest trade routes in the world and home to a wealth of marine and mineral resources, the South China Sea holds great economic and geostrategic importance. The 2022 Philippine Election: Trouble for Democracy and Foreign Relations Ahead? The same cannot be said for China and a maritime Southeast Asia that aligns with the United States. Sign up to receive ShareAmerica updates. Learn more in our Cookie Policy. This alignment will further U.S. goals: to continue to mount a forward defense, to keep the seas and skies free, and to promote prosperity and the spread of democracy. The South China Sea is a strategic body of water bordering Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam and China. In 2010, the US declared its freedom of navigation in the SCS to be a national interest in response to Chinas increasingly assertive posture. The post-war regional order. America has formal defense/security alliances with five Asian countries: Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia. Pexels India-China Indo-Pacific South China Sea Signalling is important international relations. The South China Sea (SCS) consists of over 200 tiny islands, reefs, shoals, atolls and sandbanks grouped in to 3 archipelagos the Spratlys, the Paracels and the Pratas Macclesfield Bank and Scarborough Shoal. In particular, shifting explanations for how the United States will manage Chinas rising power and influencealong with the military-heavy implementation of the rebalancehave exacerbated suspicions that Washington seeks to contain Beijings rise. In addition, it has proved oil and gas reserves, so the sovereignty of the disputed islands involves legal rights to exploit its resources. The geopolitical message was unmistakable: Western expectations that China was transitioning toward political democracy were entirely illusory. In addition to fishing grounds, the South China Sea contains an abundance of energy resources, . Nevertheless, Beijing had taken its first overt step to control the South China Sea. 2014 The United States and the Philippines sign an enhanced defense pact, strengthening the U.S.-Filipino relationship. In a meeting attended by the foreign ministers of 26 nations from the broader region, Clinton simply asserted that the South China Sea was subject to multiple territorial claims and a multinational mechanism should be established to find a peaceful diplomatic solution. More importantly, it also covers the most crucial energy routes for East Asian countries to transport oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf. Diplomatic, informational, legal, and economic responses are currently underrepresented in U.S. China policy, and their incorporation into the policy toolkit will be important for successfully dissuading China over the long-term. Since the mid-1990s, China has pursued a strategy . Since 2009, China has growingly asserted its influence over the SCS by enforcing an annual fishing ban, conducting regular maritime patrols, undertaking scientific surveys and conducting military exercises in the disputed islands and waters. Second, the United States should feel comfortable adopting a patient approach in pushing a return to full democracy in Thailand. Thanks to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), American power projection capabilities will be regularly present in the Philippines for the first time since the early 1990s. The USSJohn C. Stennistied up there for a few days in April. Besides, more than half of the world's fishing vessels pass through the SCS. The United States needs to maintain a difficult balancing act, supporting the democratic aspirations of the Thai people while remaining a security and economic partner of choice for the elites and armed forces. The United States has an interest in seeing that these partners maintain their strategic autonomy, but capacity building efforts to help them resist coercion are not keeping pace with Chinas growing capabilities. In 1974, Chinese gunboats attacked and defeated a small South Vietnamese military outpost in the Paracels an archipelago of reefs, atolls, and islets in the South China Sea. The Strategic Importance of the South China Sea. economic importance associated with the ocean is tremendous and manifold. As . In December, another joint China-Russia naval exercise was held in the East China Sea (China Military Online, December 21, 2022). Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Thursday, Bonji Ohara, a senior fellow at the Tokyo-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said the marginal sea is key to China's security. Finally, the United States should prioritize governance issues in its relations with Southeast Asian states. Any temptation to alter U.S. policies in the South China Sea to preserve cooperation with China in other areas is unnecessary and potentially counterproductive. China, for example, has asserted a maritime claim to a large majority of the South China Sea that is not consistent with international law. To facilitate capacity building, Washington should preserve regional defense relationships while recognizing that the ability of the United States to partner with frontline states depends on their cooperation and adherence to good governance and human rights. South China Sea is a strategic sea lane is significance for connectivity, navigation, trade and resources is a global hotspot as a potential flashpoint. The United States has been less successful in supporting local partners as they resist Chinese coercion. What is more important from a strategic viewpoint, however, is that global energy projections that the EIA issues in the International Energy Outlook, issued in October 2021, make it clear that China and Asia will have a sharply growing dependence on MENA and Gulf petroleum exports that may well extend through 2050. The United States and its Pacific allies should consider whether it is feasible and sensible to coordinate the activities of USAID, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. China's strategic reach into the South China Sea has obvious and profound implications for three sets of international actors: (1) the littoral Southeast Asian states (Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines); (2) major maritime countries heavily dependent on the sea lanes through the South China Sea (including Japan, Korea, and In particular Chinas maritime law enforcement in the disputed islands and waters has disrupted regional stability; causing tensions between Vietnam after a clash between Chinese patrol boats and Vietnamese oil exploration vessels. The Art of War helps expose the motivation behind past, current, and future Chinese actions. For example, targeted sanctions on Chinese companies involved in destabilizing activities could be considered. Yet, it was and is all of that. and Amy Searight. It is clear that increased maritime power projection in the SCS, from the Chinese in particular, has upset regional stability, and this is likely to continue. And thus a new strategic map of Asia begins to emerge. Enduring U.S. interestsfreedom of navigation and overflight, support for the rules-based international order, and the peaceful resolution of disputesare at risk in the region. This new strategic map of Southeast Asia actually began to take shape during the Bush administration, whichinitially launchedthe effort to move beyond Americas traditional hub-and-spokes alliance model in the Asia-Pacific. 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW Inconsistent messaging and policiesincluding on freedom of navigation and routine presence operationshave also led to confusion in the region. in the northeast, the South China Sea is one of the most important trade routes in the world. More than half of the world's fishing vessels are in the South China Sea, and millions of people depend on these waters for their food and livelihoods. China has seized the initiative in the South China Sea, however, and the United States needs to revamp its strategy to reverse current trends and escape the trap of reactive and ineffectual policymaking. Coral reefs, which are vital to marine habitats, have been declining by 16 percent per decade, according to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 1994 The Convention on the Law of the Sea goes into effect. It is little surprise, then, that Southeast Asian states are drawing closer to the United Statesboth seeking aid in developing their own defense capabilities and hoping that stronger ties act as a deterrent to Chinese assertiveness. What is the Strategic Importance of the South China Sea? Any such assertion must rest on an understanding that critical U.S. national interests, including both economic and security interests, are at stake and at risk. access to Thailands military facilities, particularly the strategically located and well-equipped Utapao airbase, is considered invaluable. Talks are focused on articles that are relevant to disaster relief, but the agreements eventual parameters could expand as the U.S.-Vietnam security relationship matures. From busiest . She also observed that the sea-lanes through the South China Sea constituted a global commons not subject to sovereign claims by any nation. The new administration should provide authoritative explanations of these operations and not alter their schedule in response to Chinese pressure. In each of these arenas, a successful Chinese effort to seize control of the South China Sea will have a profound impact and each is worth elaboration. India has proactively engaged in the South China Sea (SCS), notably via boosting its naval presence and forging ties with Vietnam despite China's aggression. When Beijing froze banana imports from the Philippines in the midst of the Scarborough Shoal standoff in 2012, it sent a clear message to its Southeast Asian neighbors: economic ties would not be immune from diplomatic contretemps. The security assurances provided by the U.S. military presence coupled with the advent of regional institutions, notably ASEAN and the Asian Development Bank, nurtured that growth. Southeast Asia will inevitably be rendered subordinate and compliant to Chinas will. Cooperation on areas of shared interest is important not only to the United States, but also to China. If this sounds overstated or overwrought it is not. India is training crews for Vietnams new Kilo-class submarines and will sell Vietnam BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. Yet, due to Turkey's strategic importance, the US cannot afford to affront Mr. Erdogan, who carries a peculiar . But as it does so, it acts as midwife to a very real strategic realignment in Southeast Asia, one which promises to benefit the United States and its partners. In practice, Thailand may be neutral in the regions great power fissures into the next decade. The strategically important South China Sea is an increasingly prominent stage for the spiraling tensions . Such pressure should focus on concrete, near-term objectives, such as putting a stop to reeducation of regime critics. through South China Sea Port is 1400 kms long. The islands are important, however, for strategic and political reasons. U.S. goals to uphold regional alliances and partnerships, defend international rules and norms, and maintain a productive relationship with China remain valid. China's plan for populating the South China Sea was launched in 2012 when "Sansha City", the administrative centre for all Chinese-claimed features in the South China Sea on Woody Island in the . Last year, the construction projects covered 72 acres. The reaction of the Chinese Foreign Minister was incendiary and revealing. However, there were a number of reasons to conclude that the line was no cartographic anomaly; it was an official indication of Beijings contention that the sovereign territory of China included the South China Sea. There are certainly other situations involving other challenges, but this is the most plausible and dangerous. That included nearly 40 percent of Chinas total trade and 90 percent of petroleum imports by China, Japan, and South Korea and nearly 6 percent of total U.S. trade. As building of military facilities continued in 2015, the US explicitly announced its opposition to these constructions and tasked surveillance assets to conduct over flights in the SCS and significantly raised tensions. The outcome of that contest will profoundly influence, if not shape, the 21st century world. The end of the Cold War found East Asia and the Western Pacific strategically quiescent. Currently, President Xi Jinping makes frequent references to Chinas possession of the South China Sea since ancient times an assertion that lacks any validity historically or legally. Japan and South Korea will face a perilous new reality with China in control of the seaborne lifeline of both countries. Aung San Suu Kyi has no interest in antagonizing Chinawhich shares a border with Burma and is a major source of foreign investmentbut nor can she afford to alienate the United States or India. To counter China's efforts to control the South China Sea, the United States needs a sustainable strategy to bolster its own capabilities, work more effectively with capable allies and partners, and strengthen the regional order. Chinas rising military power and political influence is generating anxiety and suspicion among some of its neighbours and western powers. A third of the world's shipping passes through it, its fisheries are critical sources of food for millions of people. With a new Southeast Asian strategic alignment taking shape as described, geography makes Indonesia and Malaysiaespecially due to its Sabah and Sarawak states on Borneothe regions key swing states. Since 2014, China has stepped up the construction of artificial islands over the disputed Spratlys and Paracels in the SCS, causing an escalation of tensions, upsetting stability. Sun Tzu Explains China's Shaping Operations in the South China Sea. To this end, the new administration should perform an early, top-down, and thorough strategic review to enable greater consistency and effectiveness in U.S. South China Sea policy. Stay Connected! Hence, the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We will defend freedom of the seas and skies.. Should they be neutral, China may lord over the southern reaches of the South China Sea from military bases on its newly created and expanded islands in the Spratlys. The USA have a direct connection to the area through various allies, connections and trade, and this will naturally continue. Vietnam's coastline bordering the South China Sea is over 3,000 kilometers long. The primary challenge to American regional predominance came from Maoist China first through the Korean War and then via communist insurgencies throughout Southeast Asia culminating in the Vietnam War (1963-75). Washingtons relationship with Hanoi will make that more palatable. The main route to and from Pacific and Indian ocean ports is through the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. The growing size and capability of the Chinese air force, navy, and coast guard allow Beijing to consistently monitor and exercise de facto control over most of the South China Sea. The U.S. military used Utapao for refueling efforts during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s, as well as for multinational relief efforts after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and April 2015 Nepal earthquake., The U.S.-Thai alliance has also served as a platform for important training exercises. The South China Sea is one of the most important economic and environmental regions in the world. That redundancy will grant the United States flexibility in a couple of ways. In 2012, then Chinese president Hu Jintao voiced his desire to make China a powerful maritime nation. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 2013 The Philippines challenges Chinas claims of historic rights and other actions in an arbitration case under the Law of the Sea Convention. But the South China Sea has been dangerously overfished. The lifting of the arms embargo also opens the door to other forms of U.S.-Vietnam security cooperation. . See Media Page for more interview, contact, and citation details. India has likewise pursued deeper defense ties with Vietnam, and Indian warships just made port calls at Cam Ranh Bay and Subic Bay while en route to trilateral naval exercises with the United States and Japan in the Western Pacific. "First, South China Sea is important for the strategic patrol of Chinese SSBN [nuclear ballistic missile submarine], which needs to enter west Pacific Ocean for its nuclear . Beijing may not find it quite as easy to run roughshod over Hanoi in the coming years. It is a rich source of hydrocarbons and natural resources. World. In addition, the United States has affirmed some responsibility for the defense of Taiwan and has close security ties with Singapore and New Zealand. 2016 The Arbitration Tribunal rules in favor of the Philippines. Security, Strategy, and Military Dynamics in South China Sea: Cross-National Perspectives on JSTOR. 5 min. Australia will be isolated with an uncertain future. Tackling these issues will be tricky for the United States, as many of the elites that benefit from corruption will be those with whom Washington must work to deepen ties, but this is a long-term effort worth pursuing. camargo country club membership cost, ano ang pamana, maine red claws average attendance,
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